John Goodman is a major Hollywood star, even if one would never guess it from the way he lives his life. Put simply, Goodman tries to live a relatively normal life … he just wants to be like everyone else.
Goodman has been a fast fixture in Hollywood for a long, long time, and fans have gotten used to seeing him fairly unchanged. No longer. The 69-year-old has undergone an incredible health journey of late, and showed off his new look in early December.
The result? Well, it’s safe to say that the legendary actor has done a fantastic job in following a new diet and workout routine – he looks great!
Over the years, Goodman has created a wonderful family and a place to call home in New Orleans. But he’s also faced some pretty dark periods, not at all helped by battles with depression.
These days, Goodman’s been sober for many years, and chooses to focus on his love for his family and acting. In addition to that, he’s recently lost a whole lot of weight, arguably making him even more inspiring than before!
John Goodman – early life
On June 20, 1952, Goodman was born in Affton, Missouri, to father Leslie Goodman, a postal worker, and waitress Virginia Goodman. At just two years of age, he experienced tragedy when his father passed away after a heart attack. It left Virginia to raise Goodman and his two siblings on her own.
Goodman was always interested in the art of acting. As a kid, he loved watching the television series Have Gun – Will Travel, starring Richard Boone, and also harbored aspirations of becoming a radio DJ.
There was something about working in radio that attracted him, and for a long time he envisioned himself going into that profession.
“There was one guy I was hooked on every night,” Goodman said on Late Night with Seth Myers.
“Plus, we got to listen to old-time radio dramas when I was a kid. Everything coming over the radio I loved, there was something about one guy talking to you. Up until I was in college, I thought I could pull this off.”
Goodman went to Affton High School, where he proved himself to be a great athlete, playing football and doing plenty of theatre work. He ended up getting a scholarship to play football at Missouri State University, but an injury crushed his dreams of making it professional.
Incredible weight loss
Today, Goodman has learned how to recognize the warning signs and prevent anxiety and depression by working out and doing other activities.
He also struggled with drinking, smoking, and obesity, which soon became problems. Speaking with Today, he said that he even drank on set. It was at the height of Roseanne’s success that Goodman almost fell off the edge.
“At first, it was exciting,” he said. “Then it got frightening when I lost my anonymity.
“I got complacent and ungrateful. And after nine years—eight years, I wanted to leave the show. I handled it like I did everything else by sittin’ on a bar stool. And that made it worse.”
Fortunately, Goodman had great support from his wife, Anna Beth. In 2007, he checked into rehab. He’s been sober since then, and his family now lives in New Orleans, Louisiana.
From when his daughter Molly was very young, he knew that he didn’t want his family to live in an environment where the press would follow them around and hound them with questions.“I’d had it with show business, publicity, tabloid stuff – I’d just had it,” he said. “I kind of wanted to get her, my daughter, away from that.”
John continued his work in films, voicing Sully in Monster’s Inc. (2001) and starring in the cult film The Big Lebowski (1998).
Weighed around 400 pounds
The Coen brothers chose to cast him in six of their films, including O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) and Inside Llewyn Davis (2013).
Over the course of his career, John has struggled with his weight. His all-time highest weight was almost 400 pounds. Goodman, 69, began his transformation in 2007. He continued to yo-yo until he decided to change his lifestyle when he reached the aforementioned weight.
“In the old days, I would take three months out, lose 60 or 70 pounds, and then reward myself with a six-pack or whatever and just go back to my old habits,” he told ABC in 2017.
“This time, I wanted to do it slowly. Move, exercise. I’m getting to the age where I can’t afford to sit still anymore.”
“I’d get off of Roseanne every spring. I’d lose 60 pounds every spring,” he told David Letterman. “I’d gain it back and then some, every year. So it’s going to be an ongoing process for the rest of my life.”
Goodman decided it was time for change. So he hired fitness guru and personal trainer Mackie Shilstone – who had worked earlier with tennis star Serena Williams – and soon, he was on the path towards a healthier life.
Amazing transformation
He stuck to a diet full of Mediterranean food, including fish, nuts, olive oil, vegetables, and fruit. He also worked out five to six times each week.
Following his dedication towards a new diet and working out, Goodman lost over 100 pounds, and he looks amazing!
“This didn’t happen overnight — it’s been an ongoing process,” Shilstone told New York Post. “There needs to be strategic planning. This time, he wanted to do it.”
Goodman says he tries to walk between 10,000 to 12,000 steps each day. Meanwhile, new pictures of him show off his incredible transformation.
On December 6, Goodman attended TUBI’s “The Freak Brothers” Experience in Los Angeles, California – and he looks fantastic!
We are so happy that John Goodman was successful with his work out regime and new diet. He looks to be doing very well, which is truly the most important thing in the world.
Please, share this article to honor John Goodman and his incredible weight journey!